EKOFILM 2010

EKOFILM 2009 ends, Main Prize goes to Garbage Warrior

11. 10. 2009

On Saturday 10 October, the gala evening with awarding of prizes for the 35^th annual film festival MFF Ekofilm was held in the Municipal Theatre in Český Krumlov. Prizes were awarded in 13 categories. The Main Prize of Ekofilm and also the Viewers’ Prize went to the film of the English director Oliver Hodge, Garbage Warrior. The six-person international jury appreciated it as an extraordinarily fascinating film, crafted with a high level of professionalism. The film follows the efforts of the architect Michael Reynolds, who builds a cheap, fully functional house out of garbage during the period of world-wide globalising consumption. He also fights against the bureaucracy and laws of New Mexico. The documentary follows the architect’s tireless attempts to get legal approval for his alternative building in New Mexico.

“As far as the awarding of the Main Prize was concerned, Ekofilm 2009 was extraordinarily simple”, said the international jury member and cameraman Steve Lichtag, and he added: “A film like Garbage Warrior – a perfect story with perfect treatment -  is only made once in a very long while. The film enchanted me, and the jury came to a unanimous agreement.”

The director Oliver Hodge received the award in person.

Were you expecting to win the Ekofilm Main Prize?

“It was a great honour for me. We have won various prizes, but up till now never the main one. I believe that this film is highly appropriate for a “green” festival, and I am pleased that we won the Ekofilm Main Prize. Yes, maybe Garbage Warrior is somewhat blatant ecological propaganda, I got caught up in Michael’s story, and I lost detachment, but this gave me the strength to shoot the film for three years with little money. I have been dealing with ecological themes for 20 years, I look at the way our planet is going, and for this reason I started filming Michael’s story. Now I am planning to shoot another film.”

The gala evening was hosted by Jaroslav Dušek, who was the guide for the entire festival. This year Ekofilm was held in České Budějovice and Český Krumlov as usual, but this year it also ran for three days in Třebon. In addition to the usual festival centres (in České Budějovice in the cinema Kotva and at the Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, in Český Krumlov at the Municipal Theatre and in the rooms of the Prelature), it was also possible to visit it in other places (for example in the České Budějovice House of Books Kanzelsberger, Solnice, Camel Club, Český Krumlov cinema J&K etc.).The cinemabus visited southern Czech towns. There was a record number of 225 films from 40 countries entered for Ekofilm this year. This year’s visitor numbers also set a record. There was a total of 8 thousand visitors in all age categories.

The important guests on the final evening included the environment minister Ladislav Miko, who made time in his busy schedule and came both for the opening and the closing of Ekofilm.

“I came with pleasure, not just because our ministry organises the festival and it deserves ministerial participation. I found the question and answer session with students to be illuminating. I learnt how people look at our problems. On Friday evening I saw Jaroslav Dušek’s performance. I don’t regret a single minute I spent at the festival. I met many people there who are involved in ecology, and I am pleased that the festival is young both in terms of its spirit and participants.”

The main theme of Ekofilm was climate changes and their contexts.

The main new feature of Ekofilm was the change in the visual form of the festival, including new logo and jingle. Another new item on the programme consisted of many accompanying concerts, an opening bike ride, Partnership Foundation Road Show, presentation of project Big Challenge of Hnutí DUHA (Rainbow Movement), visit to the museum Photographic Studio Seidl, scooter ride from Kleť to Český Krumlov, meeting of the makers of  Cutting it Short 30 years later, and other events.

The 36th annual event will be held next year from 4 to 10 October 2010. We are looking forward to seeing you there!